From Your Homeowner Liaison

By Sonja Perez, CAAM, CMCA SRCA Homeowner Liaison

Palm Tree Trimming Is Here!

Long time Valley residents know this is the time of year palm trees grow seed pods and fruit. We all know this annual occurrence can be messy and unsightly. In a perfect world, the debris that falls from untrimmed trees would fall straight down and stay in the tree owner’s yard. Because the debris takes to the wind, trees that aren’t trimmed in a timely manner cause huge issues for neighboring yards and pools. While not all debris can be stopped from flying, trimming as soon as possible is the best practice. Your neighbors will appreciate it!!

Outside of aesthetics and the mess, there are also a few practical reasons to have your palm trees trimmed. When fronds turn brown, they will drop below the canopy and amass against the tree’s trunk forming a dense skirt. Heavy, dead fronds located in tall palms can be a falling risk to homes, pets and passers-by. I have experienced this firsthand and have seen a large skirt of fonds fall straight down the trunk of a palm tree and it was terrifying!

Additionally, roof rats, scorpions and other pests like to build nests high up in the dead fronds away from predators. That right there is a good motivator to schedule trimming.

The opportune time to have palms trimmed is June and July. This is when the palms are flowering and falling debris from fronds is heaviest.

When planning annual trimming, it is best to be patient and wait for the flowering cycle to be complete. Otherwise, if pruned too early, additional flower stalks may develop and will hang from the palm. If that happens, you will need to have them trimmed again.

Having your tree(s) trimmed after the seed pods and fruit emerges ensures a full year to enjoy a properly trimmed, clean tree. If you have palm trees on your property and have not scheduled trimming with your landscaper or tree trimmer, now is the time to do so. Unless unusual circumstances exist, the expectation is that all palms need to be trimmed by August 15th. If you are unable to meet that goal, please contact our office.

Please keep the City of Scottsdale bulk trash service schedule in mind when planning the tree trimming. If you have your trees trimmed and you are not within the placement and pick weeks, your trimmer/landscaper must haul away the trimmings. You cannot leave the trimmings in the street or on your property where they are visible.

Per the SRCA guidelines bulk trash items and landscape debris may be placed, no more, than five (5) days before the scheduled week of pick up. Please see the June thru September 2022 schedule below.

Please refer to https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/solid-waste/brushbulk-collection for specifics regarding bulk trash and landscape debris placement.

Always feel free to contact the SRCA office with any questions you may have. We are here to help!!